Clinical validation of the EORTC QLQ-OG25 questionnaire for the evaluation of health-related quality of life in Mexican patients with esophagogastric cancers.

BACKGROUND: Quality of life questionnaires (QLQ) QLQ-STO22 and QLQ-OES18 are currently available to measure Health-related quality of life (HRQL) in patients with Esophageal (EC) or Gastric cancer (GC). The QLQ-OG25 integrates questions from both questionnaires to be useful for EC, Esophagogastric junction carcinoma (EGJC), and GC. Our aim was to validate the Mexican-Spanish version.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: The translation procedure followed European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) guidelines. QLQ-C30 and QLQ-OG25 instruments were completed by patients with EC, EGJC, and GC. Patients were divided into three groups: (1) palliative treatment; (2) treatment with curative intent, and (3) survivors. Reliability and validity tests were performed.

RESULTS: One-hundred sixty-three patients were included: 62 women and 101 men (mean age, 54.9 years; range, 22-82 years). Sixty-nine, seventy-three, and twenty-one patients were allocated into groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Questionnaire compliance rates were high and were well accepted. Group 3 patients reported better functional HRQL scores and lower symptom scores than patients in groups 2 and 1. Scales in the QLQ-C30 and QLQ-OG25 distinguished among other clinically distinct groups of patients. Cronbach's α coefficients of all multi-item scales of the QLQ-OG25 instrument were >0.7 (range, 0.7-0.83). Multitrait scaling analysis demonstrated good convergent and discriminant validity, even adjusting by location. Test-retest scores were consistent.

CONCLUSION: The Mexican-Spanish version of the EORTC QLQ-OG25 questionnaire is reliable and valid for HRQL measurement in patients with esophagogastric cancer and can be used in clinical trials in the Mexican community.